


Perchance To Dream

by DaughterofTime31



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Gen, Post Season 4 Finale, Will probably become non canon soon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-03-30 08:23:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3929806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterofTime31/pseuds/DaughterofTime31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dark One Curse has been removed from Rumplestiltskin's heart but its absence has left him in a state of limbo. He is neither awake nor asleep, neither alive nor dead. Will Belle be able to bring him back into the light? And what is going through Rumple's mind? Set post the events of the Season Four finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. After The Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "To die, to sleep - to sleep, perchance to dream, ay there's the rub..."  
> William Shakespeare, 'Hamlet'

Belle knelt on the floor of the pawnshop beside the prone body of her husband. She bent over him and gently pressed her ear to his chest, directly above his heart. The heart that, almost completely consumed by his Curse, the Apprentice had removed and performed his strange spell upon. At first, it seemed as if it had worked: the darkness had been sucked into the Sorcerer's hat and Rumple's heart, glowing with a white light, had been put back into his body. But then it had all gone wrong.

The experience had left Rumple unconscious and barely breathing and that was still the case; Belle listened with growing dread to the slow, ominous thump of his heart, sounding as if it was winding down, going through its final motions. The Apprentice had told them that, after centuries as the Dark One, the real Rumplestiltskin might not be able to come back. He might not have the strength. Well, she would not accept that, she  _refused_ to accept that. She had enough strength for both of them and she would force that into Rumple if she had to. It wasn't going to end this way.

Sadly though, it  _had_ ended for the Apprentice. The hat had not been able to contain the Curse, it needed a human host. Consequently, it had escaped, killed the Apprentice and was now loose in the streets of Storybrooke. The heroes had run off after it and Belle could hear that something chaotic was unfolding outside the pawnshop door. For once, Belle didn't really care. Emma and Regina had magic, let them see if they could wrestle with the darkness. If the task was beyond them, no doubt they'd come to her for help, but not today and even if they did, she wasn't available. Her place was right here, beside Rumple. She wasn't going anywhere.

She ran her hand over Rumple's forehead and discovered to her dismay that it was cold. She knew she had to move him off the floor, get him to the cot in the backroom, but she had no idea how she was going to manage it. He wasn't a big person but she didn't fancy her chances of picking him up now that he was a dead weight. Several ways of going about it tumbled through her mind, each more unlikely than the last, until she was just about tearing out her hair in frustration. The shop door opened with a bang and, expecting to see one of the heroes, Belle turned to tell them to go away but she stopped herself just in time. It wasn't Emma or Regina or one of the Charmings. It was Will.

"Belle, are you all right? It's like the end of the world out there, something has happened to Emma, they're all clinging to one another in the middle of the street. I didn't see you with them and I got worried." His eyes drifted downwards to where Rumplestiltskin lay. "What the bloody hell happened to him? He looks even worse than usual, if that's possible. No offence. He can't hear me can he?"

"No, I don't think so," Belle replied with a half smile. It was slightly awkward to see Will, considering the little flirtation they'd had after everything between her and Rumple had collapsed and she had banished him. She had been so distraught, so filled with doubt and anger, that she had yearned for someone uncomplicated to spend time with and Will had fitted the bill. He had gone through a similar experience to hers, he had lost his own love, so he knew about heartbreak. It had never progressed beyond a few chaste kisses though Belle had sensed that Will wanted more than that. Even so, he had accepted the end and stepped aside with good grace when she had told him she still loved her husband. And now, ironically enough, she needed his help with that said husband. She only hoped he was willing to give it.

"The old man, the... Apprentice I think he was called," Belle indicated across the room at his still form lying upon a side cot "he took the darkness from Rumple's heart and put it into the Sorcerer's hat. But it was too powerful, it escaped, it killed him and it's now causing that havoc you saw outside. As for Rumple, the Apprentice said he might not be strong enough to survive so he put him under a preservation spell until we can figure out how to wake him up," she spread her hands helplessly " _if_ we can wake him up."

Will held her gaze and Belle could see nothing but concern and sympathy reflected there. She gave an inward sigh of relief; she had worried over nothing. Will Scarlet might be a thief but he was also a man of compassion, a man of honour. He would help her.

Belle couldn't stop the tears that had been threatening ever since she walked into the pawnshop and found Rumple on the brink of collapse from finally spilling over. Will sat down beside her and gathered her into a hug, whispering words of comfort while Belle wept.

After a few moments, he said "hush love, dry your tears, it'll all work out for the best. You'll make it work. Aren't all the magical folk round here always running to you for answers to their problems? 'Look this up Belle, translate this for me!' Why do you think they do that? It's not just because they're lazy, it's mostly because you're smart. The smartest person in this town and they all know it. I know it too and now all that remains is for  _you_ to believe it. Give yourself some credit for once. When you do, you'll find the answer. Now then," he glanced down at Rumple "do you want a hand getting him up off the floor? It can't be comfortable for the poor beggar down there."

Belle nodded wordlessly, too moved by his kindness to say anything. Together, they picked up Rumple and moved him to a cot located in the backroom, where they laid him down gently, as if he was made of bone china. Belle found some extra blankets and draped them over him, desperate to stave off the cold that she feared was taking the place of the darkness.

Once he was settled, Will asked her if she needed him for anything else. "No," she replied "I'll be fine now. You go and see what's happening outside, they probably need some help of their own. And thank you Will - for everything. You're a good friend."

"Ah, don't mention it love, all part of the service." They exchanged a little smile and then he was gone and she and Rumplestiltskin were alone. Belle brushed a stray tendril from his brow and noted with satisfaction that his skin had grown a touch warmer.

"Just hang in there Rumple," she said "please. The darkness has left your heart, your curse is gone, you've been given another chance. _We've_ been given another chance. All you have to do," she grabbed his hand and kissed it "is take it." 

 

Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes and and looked blearily upwards at a sky almost totally obscured by treetops. In confusion, he sat up but immediately regretted the action; his head ached, his throat was raw and his heart was beating so slowly that he hardly had enough energy to think, let alone move.

 _His heart._ God, where was he? The last thing he remembered was being on the floor of his shop pleading with Belle to go far away before the Dark One took total possession of him. After that, there was nothing, just a suffocating blackness in which a familiar but maddeningly distant voice called his name.

"Belle?" he croaked "is that you? Where are you sweetheart? Where am  _I?_ What happened?"

"Oh good, you've come to at last dearie, and thus the question and answer portion of our game can begin! Though I must admit, I wasn't expecting _quite_  so many questions, but no matter. Let's take them one at a time shall we? Is that Belle calling out to you? Yes. Where is she? In your poky little shop of course. Where are you? The Infinite Forest, what other place have you ever seen that has so many trees? And last but not least, what happened? Well dearie, you died, sort of. In a manner of speaking. That part of the story is actually yet to be decided."

Rumplestiltskin turned his head around slowly and looked behind him. There, on a fallen log, sat himself, or a version of himself. Green/gold skin, long claws, stained teeth, hypnotic eyes, dragon hide coat. It was the Dark One, the feared spinner of gold and maker of deals. The scourge of the Enchanted Forest. But no, that was utterly impossible. He couldn't be talking to himself. This was not happening.

"No," he breathed "you aren't real, you cannot be real. This is a dream. A nightmare."

"Well  _of course_ this is a dream but that doesn't mean it's not real. Dreams are often among the most 'real' things we ever experience. All a matter of perspective. For you that is especially true now that you are trapped in your own mind with no obvious way out and no one but me for company."

He jumped down from his perch and approached Rumple, moving with a feline ease that his Storybrooke counterpart had never quite managed. Once he was close enough, he reached down and angled up Rumple's chin, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Listen to me and listen well. If you're  _ever_ going to escape this forest, if you're  _ever_ going to escape yourself, you're going to have to deal with me Spinner. You can't run away this time Rumplestiltskin, you can't lame yourself, you can't find a convenient loophole and wriggle through it. Time to face things. Now then," he increased the pressure on Rumple's chin, his claws digging deeply into the flesh, "are you ready to begin?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Rumple's curse is broken but will his heart ever be strong enough to allow him to wake and confront the new reality? Poor Belle, nothing is ever easy for her. I was glad to give Will Scarlet a role in this as he was left out of the finale. Not sure how many chapters this will run to, the Muse as always decides. Thank you for reading :)


	2. The Pirate and the Shadow

"Damn it! Still nothing. How is that even possible? How can I have access to  _all these books,"_ Belle looked with barely disguised frustration at the surrounding pile of tomes "and still be able to discover precisely  _nothing_ of use in them!" She slammed the latest book shut and had to forcibly restrain herself from hurling it across the room. Instead, she took a deep breath and placed the volume carefully back amongst its previously discarded companions. Then she put her head in her hands and slowly counted to ten. She felt some of the tension leave her body but it didn't make much difference. It had been two days since the Apprentice had taken the darkness from Rumple's heart; two days since he had put him under a preservation spell before dying himself, leaving no answer as how to free Rumple from his magical coma. Belle had known that it would be difficult to find a solution to such an enormous problem but nevertheless she had started her search with optimism. First, she had tried the obvious option: True Love's Kiss. She had spent the first day kissing Rumple until her lips cracked but all her efforts had registered not so much as a flicker. He was deeply unconscious, far beyond the reach of a mere kiss, however sincerely delivered. Next, she had tried books: they, after all, never failed her. But a full day of research had yielded not even a single lead. She was now truly starting to appreciate the enormity of the task before her and even her natural positivity was threatening to flag in the face of it.

Will Scarlet had come to see her, again, accompanied by the Merry Men. She had called him for assistance once more, this time regarding the body of the Apprentice. It couldn't remain in the shop but Belle didn't want to leave Rumple for a second to try and arrange its removal. Truthfully, she had no idea what to do with the man and even less idea who on earth was responsible for him. Did he have any next of kin? Will didn't know either but he told her not to fret: he'd bring Little John and a couple of the others with him and together they'd take the Apprentice to the convent. They could keep him on ice there, in their crypt, until some kind of burial was arranged. Will had been as good as his word and Belle had felt guilty for taking his help again but what other choice did she have? Hopefully, she could make it up to him some day. Perhaps she could find out what had happened to his wife, Anastasia? She knew Will had lost her somehow. Yes, that was a good idea, she could reunite them and provide Will with his happily ever after. She filed that thought away and it briefly succeeded in distracting her from her immediate problem. Until the shop door opened and Killian Jones walked in.

Stormed in would, in fact, be a more accurate description and Belle actually felt a slight shiver of fear travel down her spine at the expression on his face. He looked ready to kill someone and Belle knew, from bitter experience, that he was not averse to violence. Yes, he had changed somewhat since then (she trusted he had) but still... the potential was there. 

"Where is he? The crocodile? I need to talk to him."

"You know where he is Killian, you saw what happened. The Apprentice put him under a spell. He's in the backroom, unconscious. You can't talk to him."

Killian leant against the side counter, shook his head and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. Then, quite without warning, he lashed out and swept his hook through Rumple's prized chess set, sending all the pieces plus the board crashing to the floor.

For a moment, Belle was so shocked that she was rendered speechless until a white hot burst of anger surged through her and she found her voice.

"Have you gone mad!? What the HELL is wrong with you? You have no right to stomp in here and start _demanding_ any -"

"Oh spare me the 'poor little Belle' routine, I've heard it before," Killian snarled "I will come in here and demand anything I damn well like because, once again, your beloved Rumplestiltskin has succeeded in hurting someone I love. He has succeeded in taking away my happiness. You're lucky I don't go back there and shake him until he opens his bloody eyes and tells me what it is that I need to know!"

"Killian you are making even less sense than usual. What are you taking about, Rumple has 'taken away' your happiness? He has done no such thing!"

The pirate regarded her in amazement and then the light of understanding dawned. "Oh, I get it, I'm your first visitor aren't I? Nobody has bothered with the bookworm until this moment. Well then, let me clue you in on events. While you've been shut in here, crooning over the fallen body of the Crocodile, the rest of us have been trying to clean up the mess he has created. You see, when the Apprentice so helpfully removed the darkness from your dear one's heart, it escaped. It had no tether so it went searching for one. It latched onto Regina first but Emma..." his voice wobbled "Emma stepped in. She took it upon herself, she made a _sacrifice,_  and this is the result."

He reached under his jacket and, to Belle's horror, produced the Dark One dagger. He turned the blade toward her so that she could read the name that was now so clearly etched there: Emma Swan.

"Emma...  _Emma_ is the new Dark One!"

"Bravo, you got it in one. That ought to have cleared up your confusion at my eagerness to see Rumplestiltskin. He's the only one among us who understands how this blasted curse works, the only person readily available who might have a few answers. So then, if you'll excuse me, I'll just go and -"

"You'll just go and do nothing and no I don't 'excuse' you. I excuse none of your behaviour here today. I am so sorry for what has happened to Emma but, despite what you may think, it isn't Rumple's fault and besides, as I've already told you, he's unconscious. He's not in any position to help anyone. Understand? Now, if you'll  _excuse_ me, I have to go and tend to him. The door's over there. Use it."

Killian's mouth twisted into a smirk and he raised his one good hand in a mock gesture of surrender.

"All right love, calm down. No need to get cross. I'll go but before I do, I suggest you start combing those cherished books of yours for some way to rouse the Crocodile because, if you don't find one, I will. And I promise whatever it involves will not be pleasant."

He slammed the door behind him and, once she was sure he was gone, Belle rushed over and turned the lock. She sagged against the door while she waited for her heartrate to return to its normal rhythm. She knew that Killian had pretty much no chance of finding a solution on his own but she also knew that, as a quasi member of the Charming family, he could enlist some powerful allies. Regina. The Blue Fairy. Perhaps even Maleficent, after all she was no fan of Rumple's.  _And what about the new wild card, Dark One Emma? Where was she? What might she do?_ Belle knew she didn't have a second to waste. She stood up straight, took a deep breath, and went back to her books. She needed to find an answer, and soon.

 

 

Rumple trudged along the endless, winding trails of the aptly named Infinite Forest, the very picture of dejection. He was following in the wake of his other self, his shadow self, the malevolent imp Rumplestiltskin. Occasionally, shadow Rumple would spare him a glance behind, just to make sure he was still there, but other than that he didn't speak. Hadn't said a word since Rumple had 'awoken' and found himself in this accursed place. Out of breath, and out of patience with the silent treatment, Rumple halted.

The imp was immediately aware that the Spinner had stopped walking and he spun around angrily, hands on hips. 

"Don't stop now dearie, not when we're so close! C'mon, what we seek lies just beyond that gap in the trees! Hurry now, it'll be worth it," shadow Rumple said, resuming his brisk pace "I promise."

Rumple put no faith in the imp's assurances but he began following him again. What was the point in arguing? He was trapped, marooned here in this vast wilderness, and his shadow self was all he had left to cling to. He felt so tired, so drained of life and, even worse than that, he couldn't hear Belle's voice anymore. Maybe she'd given up.  _Well, she did that once before didn't she? You remember what happened at the town line don't you?_  Rumple rubbed his forehead and tried to shove that particular memory away; he didn't like to dwell on it. It had been his fault anyway, not hers. Most things were.

Presently, he and the imp emerged into a clearing and Rumple experienced an immediate sensation of deja vu. He knew this place, knew it well. He had hoped he'd never see it again but hey, life was full of disappointment. Probably one of the few truisms he and the imp could agree on.

"We're in Neverland," Rumple pronounced dully, gazing about with distaste "you've brought me to Neverland. Whatever the point of this little exercise is, I really can't see it -"

"Shhh," the imp interjected, pointing across to where two figures stood beneath a tree "you're going to miss the best part!"

Rumple's eyes followed the direction of the imp's finger and his stomach plummeted as recognition struck home. The two figures had moved a bit closer and Rumple could see that they were a man and a boy. It was himself, as a child, and his wastrel of a father Malcolm. The father who had abandoned him, the father who had let him be taken away by the shadow so that he himself could become a boy again. So he could become Peter Pan and never have to spend another day being dragged down by his millstone of a son.

As if on cue, the shadow hove into view and its appearance had the effect of galvanizing Rumple. He darted forward, screaming "no, leave him alone! Don't touch him! He's just a boy, he needs his father! Please, he's afraid..."

His voice cracked and he broke into a run but no matter how far, nor how fast he moved, the scene slipped ever further from his grasp, until it disappeared completely. Eventually, the imp stepped in and placed an unusually gentle hand on his arm, halting him in his tracks.

"Don't distress yourself Rumple, there's no point. You can't stop it. You can't change something that's already happened."

"So why show me it then? Why bring me here? Do you really want to torture me that much you spiteful little fiend!"

"Torture, dearie?" shadow Rumple rolled his eyes and laughed in that absurdly theatrical way he loved so much "don't be so melodramatic. I drew your attention to this particular memory because I wished to remind you of something. Something you've forgotten."

"And what's that?" Rumple snapped, at the end of his tether now.

The imp raised one eyebrow, folded his arms, and looked directly at the Spinner. "Of why you need me," he replied simply. "Your father abandoned you, Milah abandoned you, Cora abandoned you and now Belle has abandoned you. Can't hear her pretty little voice anymore can you? Didn't think so. No my dear, the truth is inescapable I'm afraid. I'm the only one who has ever stuck by you, the only person you've ever been able to truly rely on. So why then are you so keen to be rid of me?"

Rumple opened his mouth to answer but found that none was forthcoming. Perhaps the imp was right, he certainly couldn't quibble with the facts that he'd presented. Everyone had left him, sooner or later, that had been the pattern of his life. The only time he'd ever achieved a degree of security, of control, was when he had been the Dark One. When the imp had been the driver and Rumplestiltskin, unwanted son, discarded husband, failed father, had taken a backseat. Of course, it had been much more complicated than that but suddenly Rumple couldn't quite remember the details. He just remembered the pain of being weak and the joy of being powerful and he wanted that again.

" _Rumple? Can you hear me?"_ a female voice whispered through the trees, " _I need you to wake up"_   but her desperate plea went unheard. Rumple was following his shadow self once more, off down another twisting path through the forest, and he was no longer listening. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, chapter two completed, bit longer than I anticipated it would be. It's fun to explore Rumple's mind even though he's in a bad place right now. Apologies to Killian Jones fans, he was back in ruthless pirate mode in this chapter. I might redeem him a bit later, you never know. Thanks for reading :)


	3. The Evil Queen

"All right I'm here, I got your message, though I warn you, I can't stay long. I have a myriad of problems to deal with at the moment," she began ticking them off on her fingers, one by one "there's Dark One Emma, there's Zelena my psychotic sister who is pregnant to my boyfriend, there's my son Henry who's now the new Author and who also wants to find Merlin _plus_  all the usual day to day concerns that a conscientious Mayor has to contend with. In short, I'm very busy dear and I simply don't have the time to assist you with your Rumplestiltskin problem. Or..." she smiled coldly "the inclination."

Belle regarded Regina calmly and struggled to remember exactly why it was she had ever seen fit to forgive her. This was the woman who had tricked her, abducted her, imprisoned her without memories for 28 years, taken away her identity and generally mentally and physically tortured her for the entire time that they had known one another. She had, however, changed a lot since those days, had seemingly turned over a new leaf and had even offered an apparently sincere apology to Belle for past wrongs. And Belle, being the compassionate person she tried so hard to always be, had accepted that apology. The Evil Queen who had used her so badly was gone, consigned to history, until that is Regina had decided to bring her out of storage for one more dastardly deed. Just a couple of weeks ago she had come to the pawnshop, ripped out Belle's heart and used it as leverage against Rumplestiltskin.

It was difficult for Belle to recall all the details of it, no doubt Regina had altered her memories  _yet again,_  but she did know that Regina had sent her to the well, where she and Rumple had married, and had her confront him. She had put words into her mouth because Belle did have a recollection, a hazy one, of Rumple staring at her with a wounded expression in his eyes, as if she had deliberately hurt him, something she would never purposely do. But Regina would; Regina had no problem hurting either one of them, Belle especially. She had proved it more than once. Well, perhaps it was time to strike back - to show her that the bookworm did indeed have teeth.

"I'm sorry to hear that Regina," Belle said with deceptive mildness "it's so much nicer if someone offers their help willingly, rather than being forced to twist their arm up their back to get it. Or, alternatively, to tear out their heart. Wouldn't you agree?" 

Regina flushed and actually looked ashamed for a moment. But only for a moment. "Oh... that," she said flatly "well, what can I say Belle? I was put into a very difficult position by your dear husband and I had to use, was  _forced_ to use, the only weapon against him that was guaranteed to work. You. I'm not proud of it if it's any consolation -"

"You're not proud of it but you're not sorry either," Belle cut in "do I have that about right?"

Regina considered for a second or two and then gave up the pretense and looked her straight in the eye. "Yes. You do."

Belle wasn't surprised by the admission but it still managed to sting. After all that had happened, after all the aid and support she had given Regina and the so-called 'heroes' in the past, they still saw her as a chess piece, a nobody, an odd little librarian to be used when convenient and avoided the rest of the time. It had been several days since Rumple had been put into his coma and she had received few visitors: Will, of course, and Killian who had come solely to accost Rumple, not to assist her.  _Maybe you should've just let Rumple complete his spell with the hat,_  a small, dark inner voice she hardly ever listened to said " _then you and he would be blissfully together in New York right now and Storybrooke would be nothing more than a distant, unhappy memory._  Belle shook her head to clear the uncharacteristically malicious thought away. She didn't regret stopping Rumple, no matter the circumstances she could never be a party to murder, but she  _did_ regret forgiving Regina. She hadn't earned it and the apology itself had proved to be hollow. They weren't friends, or allies, they never would be but that didn't mean they couldn't reach an understanding. Belle, in fact, was counting on it but she knew that Regina would require a little push and, fortunately, she knew just the person to provide it.

"Okay Robin, you can come out now. I think I've proved my point." Regina's eyes went impossibly wide as Robin Hood emerged from the back room, arms crossed, a look of profound disappointment marring his otherwise handsome features. Regina staggered backwards, her gaze wild and, for a mad second, Belle thought she was going to make a break for the door. "Oh no you don't" she said, moving to block the easiest escape route "you're going to stand here and face this Regina. You see I figured, despite your previously stated  _pride_ in your actions, that you wouldn't have seen fit to tell Robin about them. You want the Evil Queen to be kept as far away from him and his code of honor as possible. I couldn't be sure of that of course so, to test my theory, I gave him a call, asked if he had time for a chat. I must say, it proved to be very enlightening. Not only had you failed to inform him of your heart-stealing antics but you'd failed to inform  _anyone._ Usually, when a person is proud of something they've done, they shout it from the rooftops. But not you Regina. You've kept it very quiet. I wonder why?"

Regina gave her a look that Belle was surprised didn't turn her to stone but, despite her obvious anger, she didn't deign to offer her an answer. Instead, she switched her attention to Robin.

"Robin, I had no option but to take her heart! Zelena was with you, and  _Roland,_ in New York, pretending to be Marian, and I was terrified for you both! Rumplestiltskin had painted me into a corner. Belle," Regina threw another toxic glare her way "is the only thing he cares about. I had to use her." _  
_

"No you didn't!" Robin argued, his voice unusually sharp "you took the easy way out Regina. You made the villains choice and then justified it to yourself afterwards. Belle has been a friend to me in the past, she has  _saved my life,_ she doesn't deserve to be mistreated. You've been guilty of viewing her as less than a complete person, just some extension of Rumplestiltskin, and you've acted accordingly. That has to stop. It's time for you to make amends."

Regina sighed dramatically and stared hard at the floor. "I'm sorry Robin but I can't," she said softly "the spell Rumplestiltskin is under was not cast by me, it was cast by the Apprentice, who as we all know is now dead. There's nothing I can do to unravel this particular knot." 

Robin and Belle exchanged a look and he gave her a little nod, as if in agreement. Belle approached Regina and thrust a large spellbook at her, open at the very last page.

"Oh I think you _can_ help Regina and furthermore I think you will," Belle began "I've trawled through every book on magic that I possess and this spell is the only thing I've found that might just work. It can restore strength to damaged hearts - it's called the Venus Cure. If you can find a heart that pulses with goodness, and love, that can be made into a potion that regenerates said goodness and love in a heart that has been darkened by evil."

"Oh really?" Regina jeered, her voice a mixture of derision and disgust "and what would you have me do Belle? Go rip the hearts out of the nuns at the convent or perhaps the children at the Elementary school are more your style? My god, what a little hypocrite you are! You had the  _gall_ to upbraid me for borrowing your own precious heart when you're now asking me to crush innocent ones so that your Rumple may live?  Well, I have done some evil deeds in my time but not even I - "

"No Regina, you've got it wrong," Robin interrupted, cutting across her "she doesn't want you to take anyone's heart. She wants you to utilize the ones you already have. She wants you to open up the vault."

 

 

Belle surveyed the multiple rows of neat compartments, all bearing a beating, human heart, and told herself for the thousandth time that she was doing the right thing. These hearts had been harvested years and years ago, mostly by Cora, for use against their hapless hosts at a later date. But that date had never arrived, Cora herself had died, and no doubt her wretched army of zombies had gone the same way. Regina herself had even admitted that she had no idea who the hearts belonged to; "Mother never asked for a birth certificate" she had observed tartly once she had reluctantly transported them here. It was better that way really - even though the hearts had been kept 'alive' through exposure to magic, and the owners must surely have died centuries ago, Belle still did not care to know to whom they had once belonged. She felt no guilt about maneuvering  Regina into assisting her, none at all, but she did feel uneasy about this part of the plan. Still, it was all she had, the only way she had been able to discover to possibly awaken Rumple. She kept that thought to the forefront of her mind and pushed away all the rest.

Robin emerged from an antechamber, the 'inner sanctum' as Regina called it, and gave her an encouraging smile. "Some of the hearts had stopped beating entirely, the magic had worn off apparently, but she found three that were still in working order. Bright red, looked like they were teeming with goodness. She's just preparing the potion now, it won't be long. Look, Belle" he said in a tone heavy with embarrassment "I'm really sorry for what Regina did to you but you have to realise - she was desperate. I don't think she meant to use you exactly it just... worked out that way."

Belle nodded in what she hoped was a bland fashion and made no comment. Robin loved Regina, of course he would seek to defend her. It was natural, she herself had defended Rumple many times, she understood the impulse all too well. The truth was, she didn't want to talk about it anymore. None of it. She just wanted to get the potion, get away from this creepy place and get back to curing her husband. She'd cast a protection spell before they'd left the shop, a simple one that Rumple had taught her, but she had no great confidence that it would hold for long. Who was to say what might happen if Killian returned? Or God forbid, Emma? She shivered at the prospect. No, the sooner she was out of here, the better.

As if on cue, Regina appeared. "Robin, would you wait outside a minute please?" she asked, her tone smooth as honey "I just have a couple of things to say to Belle, you know to make... amends." Robin grinned, as though Regina had passed some kind of test, and departed. Regina waited a beat to make sure he was gone and then she moved toward Belle. "Here you are, one 'Venus Cure', just as you... requested" she announced in an imperious voice. She held it out, almost as if she was dangling a carrot, forcing Belle to reach for it but, at the last moment, she pulled it back. "We're even now Mrs Gold," she hissed, her voice so low that Belle had to crane her neck to hear it, "whatever debt I owed you, it is now cleared. I don't want to hear you've gone complaining to Robin, or Henry, or one of the Charmings, weeping about my poor treatment of you. Time to get over it dear, self-pity is the worst of traits. Oh and if this potion doesn't work, and there's no guarantee it will, you'll have to come up with your own solution because I won't be offering one. A guilt trip only works on me once. Do we understand one another?"

Regina held out the potion again and this time she allowed Belle to take it. Once she had possession of it, Belle held up the bottle and studied it. Its contents were a vivid, healthy red and, despite the tension in the room, Belle smiled. She could feel the magic coursing through the concoction, warm and strong and vigorous, devoid of even a hint of darkness.  _This is going to work,_ she thought triumphantly  _this is_ ACTUALLY _going to work!_  

"Thank you Regina," she said, startling the other woman with her sincerity "you've been most cooperative. As for that vaguely threatening rubbish you just spouted, don't sound so worried sweetie, you'll only give yourself more wrinkles. I'm sure our paths won't cross again, a relief for me as much as it is for you. Evil queens have never been my cup of tea. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." She brushed past an open mouthed Regina, marched out the door and began making her way back to the shop. She glanced up at the blue, cloudless sky and for the first time in a long while she felt a sense of optimism surge through her. Her husband was going to wake up today,  _Rumple_ was going to wake up today, and everything was going to be fine. Belle smiled broadly in anticipation and increased the pace of her steps. There wasn't a second to lose.   _  
_

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating, and sorry for no Rumple in this chapter, but he'll be back in chapter four! Will the potion work? Hmm, tune in to the next instalment. As always, thank you so much for reading :)


	4. The Venus Cure

"I asked you a question spinner! Am I ever going to receive an answer?"

Rumplestiltskin slumped against a tree and sighed wearily. Another long day spent following his alter ego, the Imp, through the forest of his mind had left him just about spent. The Imp had insisted on making him relive all of what he called his 'greatest triumphs': killing Zoso, becoming the Dark One and ending the Ogre Wars, ripping out Milah's heart and taking her pirate lover's hand, training Regina and masterfully exploiting her weaknesses so that she would cast the Dark Curse, killing himself and his useless father Pan so that Bae and Belle could live. The Imp seemed to think he was doing Rumplestiltskin a great favour by showing him all these memories: "you need to remember them dearie because you've forgotten what power is for, you've forgotten  _why_ you needed it in the first place. Protection. Yes, revenge is all very well, it feeds the darkness and it is  _tremendous_ fun to inflict but first and foremost power is about control. It is about safety. It is about  _never having to feel afraid again._  Without it you're back to square one, back to being the impoverished spinner, the village coward who was reviled and abused by all and sundry. Is that the life you want for yourself? Is it?"

"No," Rumple finally replied, managing to wrench his scattered mind back to the present "no it is not. But the point is entirely moot my scaly friend; I'm not the Dark One anymore. The curse was removed from my heart and, as a result, I've ended up here, with you, in what can only be described as my own personal version of Purgatory. Giving me a pep talk on the advantages of having power seems really rather redundant at this juncture."

"And that's where you're so wrong," the Imp retorted "because while we've been wandering about in here, exploring the corners of your tortured wee mind, your beloved has been out looking for a cure. A way to bring you back. Don't look so shocked dearie, you may have blocked her out, but I didn't, tempting though it was. She does go on a bit doesn't she? Sits there every day, in that dreadful shop of yours, holding your hand and wittering away into your ear. What a boringly sweet girl she is, not my type at all, but she may prove useful to us nonetheless. She seems to be the only person who wants to restore you to life. She even, somewhat cleverly for her, managed to entrap Regina into helping her. Now we must wait to see if she has succeeded in her objective..." the Imp tilted his head, as if listening, "I hear her voice. Do you spinner?"

Rumplestiltskin allowed his ears, for the first time in days, to open themselves up to receive Belle's voice and it didn't take long for normal service to resume. Her familiar, lilting accent hit him all at once and it was almost enough to make his knees buckle. "Yes that's right dearie," the Imp said laughingly "listen to her. Let her into your mind, wallow in her warmth, drown in her dulcet tones.  _Do whatever she asks you to do._ It's the only way for us."

"The only way for _us_?" Rumple asked, somewhat confused, "there is no us Imp. If I wake up, you'll disappear."

The Imp grabbed Rumple's face, digging his claws into his cheek and drawing blood, "oh no I won't. I've shown you what life is like without me, I've reminded you of why you need power. Of how pathetic you are without it. Of the fact that your darling Belle has only ever  _loved you_ as the Dark One. She never knew the spinner and would never want to either. What self-respecting woman would waste her time with that pitiful little man? You've finally faced up to a few home truths while we've been stuck in here and now it's time for us, for _both_ of us, to return to the land of the living. We have a job to do after all."

"We do?" Rumplestiltskin asked, already feeling the pull of the outside world as the influence of Belle's voice grew ever stronger.

"Aye dearie," the Imp confirmed as Rumple's consciousness began to slip away from him "someone took our power.  _Emma Swan_ took our power. Power she has no right to, power she doesn't need. We're going to take it back. All of it. Remember that Rumplestiltskin," the Imp cried as the last of Rumple's mind detached itself from his grip "we're going to take it back!"

 

 

Belle settled herself next to Rumple on the cot where he lay and looked at the vial in her hand.  _The Venus Cure._ She could feel the magic surging through it, waiting to be unleashed, but even so there was no guarantee that it would work. Regina had seemed relatively sure that it wouldn't and she was much more au fait with the practicalities of magic than Belle was. Then again she would say that wouldn't she? Her assistance had been unwillingly given and she appeared to have nothing but loathing for her old teacher these days.  _And for me_ Belle acknowledged and, for once, the thought of someone not liking her did not worry her one bit. She was done with Regina, had been from the moment she had discovered that the Evil Queen had ripped out her heart. All that mattered was waking up Rumple. Everything, and everyone else, was irrelevant. _  
_

With that in mind, she reached down beside her and picked up the item that she had decided to use to administer the cure. It was their talisman, the symbol of their relationship, fractured and fragile though it might be. The delicate blue and white chipped teacup sat lightly in her palm and Belle tried to imbue it with every last ounce of love she possessed as she poured the contents of the vial into it. "Rumple," she said, her voice deliberately loud and strong "I need you to listen to me my darling. I need you to come back to me. I love you Rumplestiltskin, despite all that has happened, despite all that we've been through. Just like this cup, my love,  _our love,_ has survived. It has endured; bent but never broken. Dented but never destroyed. All it needs is another chance to bloom - give it that chance! Wake up... please wake up."

She tilted Rumple's head back, gently opened his mouth, and carefully poured a little of the liquid in. She waited a few moments but nothing happened so she repeated the process until just a teaspoonful of the potion remained in the cup. Belle stroked Rumple's hand, placed a soft kiss on his brow and then leant down and listened to his heartbeat. The achingly slow _thump thump thump_ seemed to have sped up a little and when Belle, with renewed hope, glanced up at her husband she could've sworn she saw his eyelids flicker.  _He's coming back!_ she exulted inwardly  _he's coming back to me!_

With a slightly shaking hand, she tipped the rest of the Venus Cure into his mouth and, this time, the tears she could no longer restrain combined with the elixir until it was all gone and only the tears remained. A few silent seconds passed and then a pulse of magic, light and pure and unbelievably strong, surged through the shop. Belle had to stop herself from falling sideways to the floor but her reaction was as nothing compared to Rumple's: he broke into a sweat, his face flushed, his hand gripped hers so tightly that Belle nearly pulled it away and, terrifyingly, his body jerked helplessly, as if endless jolts of electricity were coursing through it.

The force of the shaking so alarmed Belle that she shouted, her hand pressed to his heart, "Rumple, it's me, it's Belle, you're safe now! Open your eyes, _please_  my love,open your eyes!"

The vibrations ceased, the magic settled down, lost its initial frightening force and faded into the background and Belle felt, rather than heard, a long sigh escape Rumplestiltskin's lips. And then her tears returned, falling from her blue eyes like rain, for she was looking into a pair of brown eyes that she would know anywhere.

"Belle?" Rumplestiltskin said wonderingly, his voice barely above a whisper, "you're here! You... you brought me back. You saved me. Why?"

Belle laughed, and she drew Rumple into a long embrace, before pulling back and kissing him firmly on the lips, the latent sparks of the elixir's magic igniting between them.

"Even now, you have to ask? Because I love you, you impossible man. I _always_  have."

"Oh Belle, I love you too. I love you so much my sweetheart and I'm so sorry for hurting you." He leant in for another kiss and somewhere, in a distant part of his brain, the Imp applauded. The first part of his plan was complete. It was time for phase two to begin.  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Rumple is awake but so is... The Imp. Next chapter I think we'll meet Dark One Emma. Sorry for being so tardy with this but I am the world's slowest writer. Thanks for your patience :)


	5. Awake

"Are you sure you want to do this Rumple? We don't have to go in you know; I can just as easily order some takeout and we can eat it back at the shop. It's only been two days since you woke up - you're still recovering, both mentally and physically, from the effects of the stasis spell, not to mention the Venus cure. You desperately need your rest and let's just say that some people..." Belle searched for the right phrase, one that would cause him the least pain "well they might not be..."

"Overjoyed to see me up and about?" Rumple finished for her, his mouth twisting into a sad little smile. Belle sighed, half in sorrow and half in agreement, and slowly nodded her head. The strong possibility that the townsfolk were not going to start turning cartwheels at the sight of him did not surprise Rumplestiltskin although it did sting a little.  Now that he was no longer the Dark One more of his old personality, his original self, was rising to the surface. Rumplestiltskin the abandoned boy, the poor spinner, the cuckolded husband was a deeply sensitive soul who had never managed to grow a skin thick enough to keep out all the hurt. Years spent as the deal making, scheming Dark One, and then as the clever, sardonic Mr Gold, had made up for some of that but those personas were not as dominant now that his curse had been broken. Rumplestiltskin the ordinary man was back and so were his flaws, including his inability to absorb the barbs of others.  _Only power can do that for you dearie,_ the voice of the Imp announced, so loudly and so clearly, that Rumple visibly flinched. 

"Shut up," he muttered, through gritted teeth "shut up and leave me alone. You're dead you infernal creature, dead and gone. Haven't you realised that yet? You're not a part of me anymore; you're not  _real."_

"Sorry, Rumple did you just say that I'm not real?" Belle asked, her tone full of bewilderment "I  _knew_  thatthis outing was a bad idea! You're simply not ready for it. C'mon, we're going back to the shop, here let me help you, just let me put my arm around you like so -"

She tried to steer him away from the door to Granny's diner and point him back towards the pawnshop but Rumple wasn't having any of it. He gently, but firmly, removed her arm from around his shoulders and turned to face her.

"Belle, I'm fine. Really I am. Sometimes, little things from my past jump into my mind, flashes of memory I think they are, and they throw me off-kilter somewhat. But I'll get used to it; just part of the process of awakening I'd wager. Going and cowering in the shop is tempting, I admit, but it won't improve the situation and more than that it's the cowards way out. Besides, I need some fresh air, I need to be around people, whether they enjoy my company or not. And you," he tenderly cupped her cheek "you need a change of scenery just as much as I do. You've been living in that shop for weeks now with only my sleeping self for company. Relying on Will to bring you groceries. Existing on ramen noodles for God's sake!" He crinkled his nose at the remembrance of his own lonely stint in New York when he'd been forced to consume those dreadful things. If he concentrated, he could still taste them in the back of his throat they'd been that foul. "It's been ages since I bought you a cheeseburger and iced tea from Granny's. Won't you at least let me do that? Please Belle, after all you've done for me?"

Belle looked at him and sighed, a tad huffily perhaps, but nevertheless it was clear that all desire to fight him on the wisdom of this outing had left her. "All right then, have it your way," she said wearily "if it's a burger you want, it's a burger you shall have. Lead on, Rumplestiltskin." He laughed at that, offered her his arm, and together they opened the door and walked into the comfortingly cosy environs of Granny's Diner.

The effect of their arrival on the customers was instantaneous, like somebody had dumped a time bomb, with five seconds left on the clock, into their collective lap. A gasp went round the room, the jukebox stopped, cutlery clattered onto plates and everyone appeared momentarily caught between two impulses: to either make a dash for the fire exit or to dive under the tables and hope that the ex Dark One and his wife would leave as quickly as they had appeared. In the event, such was the level of the patrons shock, all they could manage to do was sit there dumbly and stare. Even Leroy couldn't summon up a smart remark. It was utterly ridiculous really and Belle wanted to shout at them "he's not the Dark One anymore people! You can eat your overpraised lasagne in peace, he's not going to hurt you," as they made their way to the only empty booth available in the silent restaurant. She burned with indignation at the absurdity of the response but knew at the same time that she couldn't make a scene, much as these people deserved to be given one. It was the last thing that Rumple, in his vulnerable state, needed.

With that in mind, Belle bit her tongue and put on a brave face, as she was pleased to see that Rumple was also doing. They had only just settled themselves into the soft leatherette of the booth before Granny came striding across, like some avenging angel on a mission, an expression of pure displeasure on her face.

"Belle, as you know, you are always welcome in here which means _he_ is too I suppose but this is my establishment so I'm going to set some ground rules," she pointed an accusing finger at Rumplestiltskin "and they are simply this: you order, you eat your food without delay and you leave. That's it. No funny business, no deals, no nothing. My customers don't want to be bothered by you and neither do I. I don't care whether you're the Dark One or not, you aren't to be trusted. We all know what you've been up to, conspiring with the Snow Queen, nearly murdering poor Killian, bringing those damn witches to town, especially that Cruella de whatshername," Granny shuddered at the mere thought of her "in short, we've learnt our lesson when it comes to you  _Rumplestiltskin._ And we won't be fooled again. Right," she took a steadying breath "now that I've got that off my chest what do you want to order? Should I just double your usual of cheeseburger and iced tea Belle?" _  
_

Belle was so angry that she thought it entirely possible that steam was pouring out of her ears. She wanted nothing more than to tell Granny where she could shove her godforsaken cheeseburgers but her upbringing, and inherent good nature, prevented her. Yes, she knew that Rumple was far from perfect, she knew that he had done some things wrong, but then so had about half of Granny's regular clientele and she couldn't remember her setting down 'ground rules' for any of them. How many people had Regina and 'poor Killian' dispatched between them over the centuries? Probably more than they could recall and yet Granny was happy to serve them and take their money and neither of them had ever been under the Dark Curse when they had committed their sins, unlike Rumplestiltskin. No, this was crap, this _town_ was crap and Belle wasn't going to put up with it a moment longer. She grabbed her purse and was just about to surge to her feet when Rumple reached across and stayed her arm.

He gave it a reassuring pat and then he turned to Granny with a smile that was so wide, and so genuine, that it took the wind right out of the older woman's sails.

"I promise you Mrs Lucas that I mean neither you, nor any of your loyal patrons, a moment's harm. The only desire I have is to share a quiet meal with my wife. My beautiful, kind, compassionate,  _selfless_ wife. The wife who has done a great deal for this town and who has been a very good customer of yours if I'm not much mistaken?"

 "Yes," Granny mumbled, staring down at her order notebook. Rumple and Belle shared a little smile.

"I thought so. Now that that's out of the way, and we understand one another Mrs Lucas, Belle and I would indeed like to order. Two cheeseburgers and two iced teas, just as as you said. If it isn't too much trouble."

"Coming right up," Granny said, scribbling down the order though there was no need to. After that pointed exchange she was in no danger of forgetting it.

Belle beamed across the table at Rumple and whispered, "well done. I'm proud of you." Rumplestiltskin revelled in her praise and felt more than slightly proud of himself. It would've been so easy to run away, to beat a hasty retreat in the face of Granny and her customers open hostility. That's what the original, spinner Rumple would've done and even though that part of him had begged to do it, and yet another part that was still Mr Gold had ached to tell the old biddy what his exact opinion of her cooking was, he had fought both impulses off. For his own sake and for Belle's he had done the right thing, the brave thing, without recourse to the less admirable aspects of his personality. Maybe it wasn't too late for him to be the man she had always wanted. The man she deserved.

 _Oh you'll never be that,_ the Imp piped up, making his internal presence felt again  _no matter what you do. You see now exactly what the people of this pathetic wee town think of you. They hate you dearie. They want you out;_   _perhaps_ _they even want you dead. Oh the Widow Lucas was easy enough to defeat I grant you, mere child's play, but what will happen when you have to face a REAL opponent? Hmm? I think you can guess Spinner. You deny it now but..._ _you_ _will see, you will come to me,_ he sang, his cold voice eerily tuneful  _there is more you need._

Rumplestiltskin dug his nails into his palms and attempted to will the diabolical voice away; after a brief, intense struggle, he succeeded. It faded and fell silent but Rumple knew this was only a temporary respite - the Imp would be back. Rumple just couldn't understand it, couldn't fathom his continuing presence; the Imp had merely been a manifestation of his curse, an expression of the darkness, but that was gone now so why hadn't  _he_  gone with it?

 _Maybe you do still need him_ he mused, without any input this time from the Imp  _maybe he's right. Storybrooke does despise you and Granny was a pushover; others won't be._

He was still pondering that, and listening with half an ear to Belle's cheerful small talk about a new book she was reading when two things happened: the iced teas arrived, hastily delivered to their table by a harried looking waitress, and Killian Jones entered the diner, slamming the door behind him with an ominous thud.

Belle and Rumple barely had time to react to his unwelcome presence before he was upon them. He strode across the diner, with that confident gait of his no doubt borne of centuries spent on the high seas, and sat himself down in their booth. Next to Belle of course; he clearly still didn't want to get too close to his old foe.

"So it's true then - the Crocodile lives! Hallelujah! The age of miracles has not yet passed. I didn't believe it when Leroy called me with the 'good' news. Had to come and see for myself and I'm glad I did. Oh don't misunderstand me mate," he glared at Rumple "I would much rather you'd died, God knows you deserve it, but for once my personal feelings don't come into it. I've put all that aside for something far more important. I'm sure Belle has filled you in on developments that occurred whilst you were having a nap?"

"Killian, I know you don't care, but Rumple doesn't need this right now and quite frankly neither -" Belle began but Rumple didn't let her continue.

"It's okay Belle," he said, cutting her off "I'm happy to speak to the good captain here. If by 'developments' you are referring to Miss Swan's new status as the Dark One then yes, Belle told me about that. She has my deepest sympathies but I'm sorry to say there's nothing I can do for her. I no longer represent the magical court of last resort; I am now merely an ordinary man. I wish you the best of luck of course with your search for a solution but I'm afraid I can be of no help to you. Now, if you'll excuse us," he looked up and saw that the agitated waitress had arrived again, cheeseburgers at the ready. She placed them on the table and scurried off. "Belle and I would like to eat our dinner in peace."

Killian's mouth dropped open in astonishment and he went very still, as if frozen in place, but then his blue eyes darkened and filled with rage and Belle suddenly knew what he was going to do. "No," she cried and reached desperately for Rumple's glass of iced tea but she was too late. The pirate snatched it, threw it in Rumple's face and then swept both burgers from the table and onto the floor. They hit the tiles in a riot of mustard, pickles, cheese and meat and a terrible silence descended on the diner.

 _Kill him, kill him, kill him_ the Imp chanted, his voice so loud it pounded against Rumple's skull _kill that smug, arrogant imbecile like you should've done YEARS ago! Kill him before he kills you_  .  _Just put your hands around his pretty boy throat and SQUEEZE. I still have the strength; I'll help you Spinner. Do it now before he uses his girlfriend, the Dark One, to finish you. Do it!_

The Imp screamed in frustration, Belle jumped to her feet and actually shoved Killian sideways and onto the floor in her haste to get to Rumple and the man himself took a very deep breath, grabbed some napkins and began mopping up the mess that was now their table.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Granny demanded, stalking across and gazing at the scattered remains of cheeseburgers and iced teas with evident dismay "I told you I wasn't going to put up with any nonsense out of you Rumplestiltskin!"

"This disaster zone has got NOTHING to do with my husband!" Belle shouted, rounding on Granny "this person here, this  _pirate,_ is the one responsible for it! He came here, totally uninvited, and attacked us. Look at what he's done to Rumple! He's the one you ought to be berating but no, it's always Rumplestiltskin's fault in your eyes isn't it? Never anybody else's, just him. I see it so clearly now. God, I've been a fool. Why did I ever help any of you? Why did I ever  _defend_ any of you? Well, I won't make that mistake again. C'mon Rumple let's go," she said, reaching for him "we've had enough of this garbage for one night."

Rumple allowed her to take his arm and lead him from the table but as they passed Killian Jones, still sitting looking a bit shocked on the floor, he leant down and whispered to him, "get up you snivelling little bastard. I want to talk to you outside."

He nodded wordlessly for once and exited the diner hard on the heels of Rumple and Belle.

"Oh, would you just get lost Hook?" Belle said, clearly exasperated "we don't want anything to do with you. Rumple owes you nothing."

"Really? He did try to kill me as I recall!"

"A scenario you largely brought upon yourself and one I saved you from, an action for which I received no thanks incidentally. You of course have tried to kill _me_  on more than one occasion. I know you remember shooting me, and thus causing me to lose my memories, but do you remember that wonderful day when you came to Regina's palace, knocked me out cold when I wouldn't agree to assist you in your plan to murder Rumple, and then almost killed me before Regina intervened? Hmm?"

Killian flushed and Rumple stared at him, the old anger that had once driven the Dark One building up inside of him. _He'd hurt Belle? He'd knocked her out cold? Tried to kill her? She'd never told him that story._  The Imp giggled and clapped his hands in glee.  _No she didn't dearie but you know it now. This so-called captain MUST DIE!_

He shoved the Imp away, not this time in disagreement, but simply because he didn't want to deal with him just now. He had a more important matter to attend to. For the moment.

"Belle, there's no need for an argument, I asked the captain to step outside. I want a brief word with him and then we'll go home. No," he held up a hand to stop Belle's protests "it's all right. I'll be fine. Just give us a minute, please?" He smiled, putting every bit of love he felt for her into it.

Belle eventually returned the smile and acquiesced, albeit with bad grace, before retreating down the steps of the diner and out onto the sidewalk. Rumplestiltskin turned to Killian Jones and his smile vanished. He was all Crocodile once more and Jones's habitual smugness faltered a little as he gazed at his long-time enemy.

"I may no longer be the Dark One pirate but you put on a performance like that again and I will rip your heart out and crush it into dust, just like I should've done the first time. I still know enough magic to do it but please, if you have any doubts, try me. I _yearn_  to end you."

Jones swallowed and took a step back. "No need for threats mate, perhaps I acted a bit rashly in there, but this thing with Emma is driving me insane! She's become the bloody Dark One and there's nothing I can do about it! She's suffering, her whole family is suffering. They don't deserve what they're going through and now you, who was the Dark One for so long, won't even lift a finger to help! It's enough to make a person go mad."

 _Now you know how it feels_ Rumple thought, a little shiver of satisfaction running through him at Jones's obvious distress. He indulged in it for a second or two and then returned to business.

"Where is Miss Swan?"

"Regina's vault. It seemed the best place to keep her while we sort out what to do. It's hard to know what the most appropriate... course of action is. Honestly, we were really just waiting for you to come out of the magical coma, or whatever it was, so that you could help us. Well, most of us were. Regina was all for letting you sleep for the rest of eternity."

Rumple almost laughed at that but managed at the last moment to keep his visage free of amusement. 

"I see. You've caged her, can't say I'm surprised, it's what happens to all Dark Ones. Sooner or later. I really don't know what I can do for her BUT I'm willing to meet you, and the rest of the Charming clan I presume, at the vault tomorrow. I'll consult my books tonight, see if I can come up with something. But I make no promises."

Killian sighed in relief, and actually looked grateful, an expression Rumplestiltskin had never observed on his face before. He muttered a goodbye and Belle rejoined her husband on the steps as soon as the pirate had gone.

"Well, what was all that about?"

"Oh, I agreed to at least see Emma. They've got her locked up in Regina's vault. I doubt I can be of any assistance but I do feel sympathy for her plight and besides, she  _is_ Henry's mother. It would mend a few fences with him if I went to see her."

That met with Belle's approval and she gave him a kiss that Rumple immediately deepened and turned into something more. "Let's go home," she said, when they eventually broke contact, and Rumple did not have to be asked twice. He twined his arm through Belle's and they began to stroll happily towards the shop.  _Good job Spinner_ the Imp crowed  _you got us a date with the Dark One. There is hope for you yet dearie. There is hope for US yet._ _  
_

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I was planning on introducing 'Dark One Emma' this time but events at the diner got a little out of hand. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, new one in about a week :)


	6. Emma

"Belle, I found it! I found the book!" Rumplestiltskin shouted, "I knew it was around here somewhere, I just couldn't quite lay my hands on it. But it turns out I'd hidden it in one of the floor safes. I should've looked there to start with of course but not all the pieces of my memory have slotted back into place yet... Belle? Are you still here?"

Rumplestiltskin rose up from the floor and gazed around. He and Belle had come to the pawnshop early to search for this book but she had also expressed a desire to go to the library and look for it in there. Had he become so absorbed in his task that she'd left without him noticing?

 _Perhaps she scuttled off to see her 'friend' the thief, Will Scarlet?_   the Imp snickered _I'm sure I saw him creep past the window about five minutes ago, his greedy eyes gawping in. No doubt he's used to a morning assignation with your wife and really, one can't blame her for being eager. Anything, even an outlaw, would be preferable to sleeping with a washed up old peasant like you."_

 "When I want your opinion Imp, I'll ask for it," Rumple muttered "but in the meantime do me a favor and shut your mouth." The Imp giggled, none too pleasantly, but miraculously did as he was told. Rumple sighed and, in an effort to distract himself from both Belle's absence and the Imp's mocking laughter, he glanced down at the dusty tome he now held in his hands. All attempts at distraction were a losing battle though and he knew it. The Imp was only growing stronger, his presence within both his body and mind expanding by the day. Rumple had fought it at first but, in all honesty, his desire to do so was fading. A part of him still believed that he needed him, that he made him both braver and smarter and, more than that, when he was silent he actually  _missed_ him or, to be more precise, he missed the power that he represented. Rumple felt impotent without his magic, useless, withered and old, vulnerable to the predatory actions of anyone and everyone in Storybrooke. The events of yesterday had brought the truth of that home to him with all the crushing impact of a sledgehammer.

His mind wandered back to the scene in Granny's diner: the silence that had greeted his and Belle's arrival, the hostility of both patrons and owner and, to top it all off, the behavior of Killian Jones. Rumple's blood boiled when he thought of the utter contempt, not to mention the embarrassing physical assault, which Jones had subjected him to and, at the recollection, the Imp began to laugh once more.   _That's right, don't forget what the pirate did to you_ the Imp hissed  _he humiliated you in front of that whole wretched diner! He humiliated you in front of your wife! He threw your own drink right in your face and left you looking like dirt because that's what he thinks you are Spinner. He thinks you're dirt; they all do. That's why we need our power back dearie, sooner rather than later. We cannot let that kind of behavior stand. We WILL not let it stand . We can't - not if we expect to survive._

Rumple was on the verge of silently agreeing with the Imp when he heard a muffled sob emanate from the direction of the back room. "Belle," he breathed and instantly he abandoned all thought of either the Imp or the pirate captain in his rush to reach her. He entered the room in a matter of moments and saw Belle standing by the far wall, her head bent, the damn Camelottian gauntlet clutched in her right hand. _Well_ ,  _at least the Imp was wrong and she didn't sneak away to meet Will while I wasn't looking,_   Rumple thought  _though I'm not sure this scenario is much better._

Belle looked up at him, her cerulean eyes swimming with tears, and she brandished the gauntlet in what was a strangely mournful gesture. 

"Sorry to leave you out in the shop by yourself but I suddenly remembered that there was a pile of stuff in here, just odds and ends really, that I hadn't sorted through in a long while. I thought the book might be amongst them but, in my haste and excitement, I forgot that I'd chosen this jumble to hide the gauntlet in. It shouldn't surprise me that I forgot about it; I wasn't really thinking straight at that particular time in my life."

Her tears, which she was trying so hard to hold back, finally brimmed over and Rumple wasted no time in going to her. He hugged her very tightly to him as she cried against his chest and, after a long minute or so, he gently pulled away and angled her gaze up to meet his.

"I am so deeply sorry for what happened that day Belle, you'll never fully know how sorry I am. Everything had well and truly spiralled out of my control and, while I have many regrets, none weighs more heavily on me than the fact that I hurt you so badly. I made you believe, that accursed gauntlet made you believe, that I didn't love you, that my power meant more to me than you, which couldn't be further from the truth. I love you so much but, more than that, I  _need_ you so much. You're my strength Belle. My light."

Belle nodded and smiled up at him and Rumple's heart skipped several beats to see the depths of the love, and the acceptance, that was shining out of her.

The Imp rolled his eyes and gave Rumple a slow hand clap, as if to say _lovely speech_ _Spinner, maybe some day you'll actually believe it_  but thankfully that was the extent of his contribution. Nevertheless it was more than Rumple was prepared to tolerate at that moment; he pushed him even further to the back of his mind and focused all of his attention on comforting his wife.

A few minutes went by before Belle wiped away her remaining tears and reluctantly ended the embrace. Composed once more, her eyes drifted down to the book Rumple carried and her gaze sparkled with interest.

"The book! The book on the Dark One! I'm so glad you found it! Where was it?" she asked whilst simultaneously reaching out and running one finger gingerly down the spine, as if too firm a touch might break it. Rumple chuckled and handed the volume across to her. She accepted it with all the enthusiasm of a born bibliophile.

"In one of the floor safes. I had stowed it in there so long ago that its location had quite slipped my mind. I had originally put it under several enchantments but, fortunately, the removal of my curse seems to have negated the magic I practiced while under its influence. It was the easiest task in the world therefore, once I remembered, to find it and retrieve it."

Belle nodded but Rumple could tell she was only half listening to him. Most of her attention was now directed toward the book, primarily centered on the fact that Belle couldn't make it open. She pulled at the cover, turned it upside down, attempted to insert a fingernail between the pages but nothing worked. Her face crinkled in determined frustration and Rumple had to suppress a smile. Nothing would work because this unique book would not reveal its secrets to just anyone. And there was a very good reason for that.

The book that was so vexing Belle was one of the oldest items in Rumple's collection; one of the very first treasures that he had ever dealt for in fact. Back then, it had been in the possession of an impossibly ancient enchantress called Amara. She had lived for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by bathing in the waters of a secret spring that were reputed to confer immortality. One day however the magic began to fade, as magic does, and Amara was forced to summon the Dark One for aid.

Rumple had been happy to assist her, by regenerating the life giving waters of the spring with some of his own immortal powers, in return for a book that Amara told him she had once, as she phrased it, 'borrowed' from the Great Library of Camelot. Bound in emerald green dragon's hide, the tome bore no title, just the image of a dagger embossed in shimmering silver on the cover. The exact same dagger that Rumplestiltskin had killed Zoso with and which now featured his name. 

It had turned out to be one of the most straightforward deals that Rumplestilstkin had ever made - Amara had been delighted, almost falling over herself, in her eagerness to offer him the book in exchange for a few extra centuries of existence. "I've never been able to open the blasted thing," she told him, voice tinged with regret "and believe me I tried. It must be imbued with special, Camelottian magic and breaking that is above and beyond my skill level I am sad to admit. But you're the Dark One; perhaps you'll have more success with it than I did."

And so he had. The only way to open the book was by pressing the Dark One dagger onto the corresponding image on the cover and, once Rumple had worked that out, he had discovered that the book had been well worth dealing for. It was a treasure trove of information, part history book, part how-to guide, and he spent years poring over it. It listed all the previous Dark Ones, their strengths and weaknesses, whom they had made deals with, where throughout the realms they had travelled, their various allies and enemies and, most importantly, how they had died. The great disappointment of the book was that it only went back to the second Dark One, Constantine the Cruel, and said nothing of the original bearer of the Curse, the first Dark One. Those pages, at the front of the book, had been ripped out.

"It won't open," Belle said at last, her face flushed with effort "what am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing," Rumple said laughingly "this book is a history of the Dark One and therefore only the Dark One, or whomever possesses the dagger, can open it. Which means that, for our purposes, the only one who can unlock this book is -"

"Killian Jones," Belle finished, her voice dripping with distaste.

"Precisely. Our friend the captain holds the key to this precious volume. Quite why Miss Swan's parents have allowed that situation to develop I couldn't begin to speculate. I always thought they had more sense than that."

"Well let's go and ask them," Belle replied. "I called Mary Margaret this morning, to tell her about the book and also to make sure that it was acceptable for us to visit Regina's vault. I wasn't about to rely solely on Killian's word on the subject. I don't trust that pirate," her face darkened and it was obvious she was thinking about the 'incident' at the diner "I should never have trusted him."

"Don't reproach yourself too much sweetheart," Rumple soothed "you aren't the first person Jones has ever fooled. He's turned it into a bit of an artform  _but_ I do believe him when he says that he loves Emma. I also believe that this book could be useful to her, perhaps even provide a bit of comfort, in what is no doubt proving to be a trying time. Did Mary Margaret say that it was all right for us to come by?"

"Yes she did but she sounded very off hand, almost as if she wasn't really listening to me, which is understandable given the circumstances. I suppose it's okay for us to go over there..."

"Only one way to find out," Rumple responded with an encouraging smile. "What was it that you used to say to me? 'Do the brave thing and bravery will follow?' Very sage advice and I think it's time that we heeded it. Let's make our way over to the vault. What's the worst that could happen? A telling off from Mary Margaret? I've survived greater dangers than that. Come on I'll get our coats; it's a bit chilly out."

 

 

Rumple and Belle did not have to wait long to discover if their visit was a welcome one or not  - upon arrival at the vault they found Mary Margaret and David standing outside engaged in what was, for them, a heated argument.

"It is too dangerous to let her out," David insisted, his voice rising on every word "too dangerous for the town and too dangerous for  _her._ Prior to all this, she had barely learned to harness her light magic powers and that was when she was only the Savior. Now that she is also the Dark One," he swallowed hard "all semblance of control has almost gone from her. She is hanging on by a very thin thread Mary Margaret and it is our job to protect her until we can find the answer to this mess. Surely you can understand that?" _  
_

"Oh I do," Mary Margaret retorted "I do understand it David. I also understand the despair and loneliness that I see in her eyes, I  _understand_ that she looks at us as if we are her jailers, and not her parents. For God's sake she doesn't even eat anymore!"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Rumple said quietly, approaching the bickering couple with Belle by his side. "The magic that drives the Curse is all that is required to sustain the Dark One. Food is helpful for maintaining energy levels but it's not essential. Worry not; the Curse won't let her starve."

David and Mary Margaret turned as one and frowned as one, two sets of shutters coming down over their faces and rendering their expressions blank. 

"Gold, Belle," David greeted them shortly, his manner stiffly formal. Mary Margaret offered them both an equally emotionless nod and Belle abandoned her original intention to hug them and express the deep sympathy for their family's plight that she truly felt in her heart. She could clearly see, from their pursed mouths and crossed arms, that they weren't in the mood for sympathy. She decided therefore to simply get down to business.

"Hello David, Mary Margaret," she began "Rumple managed to locate the book on the Dark One that I told you about on the phone. Remember? There should be something in there that could help Emma..."

Mary Margaret smiled at that, some of her natural warmth seeping through her mask of stoicism, and she sighed deeply. With a weary flick of her wrist, she motioned them towards the vault.

"Thank you for that Belle. At this point, we'll take anything that might assist Emma. Heaven knows, nothing that we've tried has worked; maybe you'll have more luck. Come on then, she's inside, we'll take you to her. You might even try to have a few words with her Mr Gold -  she's actually been asking for you."

 _I'll bet she has_ the Imp remarked acidly   _after all what good are you, your Prince Charming or your loyal band of dwarves to her now? What good have you ever been?_

Rumple almost laughed at that rather harsh assessment but the sensation passed as they entered the vault and he felt the enveloping presence of dark magic, its strands wrapping around him like a familiar cloak. They speedily reached the chamber where Emma was being held and there encountered Regina and Killian, standing shoulder to shoulder, like a pair of palace guards.

Killian had no objection to their presence but Regina flew into a fury and a vehement discussion ensued between her, David and Mary Margaret. Eventually Regina gave in, clearly defeated, and angrily removed the spell blocking the chamber doorway with a dramatic sweep of her hand.

"You have five minutes," she said curtly, ushering Rumple and Belle inside "and that's all. Killian will be with you and I'll be stationed right outside, poised to strike at the slightest sign of trouble. Emma is somewhat... changeable these days and I don't trust _him,"_ she glared at Rumple "for one second. If I hear anything suspicious I'll add your shrivelled old heart to my collection Rumplestiltskin so I strongly advise that you behave yourself. I'm not in the mood to be tested. Just give her the book and get out."

 _Don't let her get to you_ the Imp said reassuringly  _there'll be plenty of time to deal with her. She'll keep, I promise you that. For the moment, you must keep your eyes on the prize Spinner. Especially now that it's so close._

Rumple followed the Imp's advice for once and, together with Belle, he advanced into the chamber, Jones hard on their heels. In the furthest corner, Emma Swan sat hunched over, rocking back and forth at an almost frantic pace. She was swathed head in toe in blankets but, despite that, her noticeably thinner frame shivered and her teeth chattered incessantly, as though they had developed a mind of their own. Belle gasped at the sight of her and Rumple experienced a jolt of pure empathy, such as he had not felt in an age, surge through him. Emma Swan was in a bad way and he knew just how she was feeling - as if she would never be warm again, as if she would never be  _whole_ again. As if her identity was gone, swallowed up by a stygian blackness that had no soul and no end. He had nothing good to offer her, no cheerful assurances that things would get better, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to grab Belle's hand and run far away from this horrid place but something held him back. Or rather  _someone._ The Imp threw his head back and laughed.

Killian walked forward and spoke quietly to Emma. She seemed to take no notice of him until he uttered the word "Rumplestiltskin" and then her head shot up and her eyes, wide and bloodshot and drained of their natural color, nearly bulged out of their sockets.

She got to her feet so quickly that Killian was knocked sideways and crashed to the floor, his head hitting the stones with a sickening thud. Regina heard the crash and came charging in but, with a wave of her hand, Emma sent the Mayor of Storybrooke tumbling heavily to the ground as well. Like a woman on a mission, she stepped over the prone form of Regina and grabbed Rumple by the lapels, yanking him close to her, so close that both he and Belle could smell her overpoweringly fetid breath.

"Gold, you've gotta help me,  _please help me,"_ she said desperately, her words tumbling over each other. "I can't handle another second of this nightmare. I'm cold all the time, it doesn't matter what I do I can't get rid of the cold, and worse than that there's this voice in my head that won't leave me alone. It haunts my dreams, it's there when I'm awake, it won't  _shut up._ I need it to shut up or I'll go mad. I don't know how you did this for centuries, and I apologise for not understanding the intensity of the burden that you were struggling under, but I'm not like you. I won't last nearly as long as you have unless you help me Gold. I'm begging you - you're the only hope I have left."

Rumple tore his gaze away from Emma's pleading one and glanced in the direction of Killian Jones. The dagger had fallen out of the idiotic pirate's leather jacket and, as soon as Rumple saw it, he could feel the Imp run from the back of his mind to the front and start beating his fists against the inside of his skull, as if he was trying to force his way out.  _Pick it up Spinner, pick it up, pick it up, PICK IT UP, PICK IT UP, PICK IT UP!!!!!_

The screaming inside his brain was so loud and so insistent that it should've been too much for Rumple to bear but oddly it had the opposite effect. He had never felt calmer or more in control. On the floor closest to them, Regina made a low, moaning sound and Rumple said to Belle "perhaps you could go outside and discover where Snow White and the Prince have got to. I think our beloved Mayor is in need of assistance. Don't worry - I'll be okay in here with the pirate and Miss Swan. Neither of them are going to hurt me. " Belle gave his hand a squeeze and left the chamber. Rumple waited til her footsteps had entirely gone and then he moved with lightning speed - he whispered an encouraging word to Emma, disentangled himself from her and reached the prostrate Jones in two strides. With a little flourish that was pure Dark One he bent down and retrieved the dagger, handling it reverently as if it was made of spun glass, and the Imp purred triumphantly. 

 _The blade reads Emma Swan now Spinner,_ he said silkily  _but that's only temporary. We're back in business dearie; all that remains is for you to put that poor girl, so cold, so helpless, out of her misery. She's virtually begging for it. And then finally I'll show you and, more importantly, I'll show our enemies what the Dark One is really capable of._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, Rumple has the dagger back and he's all alone with Emma! Is the Imp about to secure victory at long last? Hope you enjoyed Killian getting knocked down, a bit of payback for his treatment of Rumple. Thanks for reading and new chapter next week.


	7. The Dagger

Rumplestiltskin gazed down at the dagger in his hand and a cascade of emotions tumbled through him: fear, doubt, relief, revulsion, triumph, indecision and, most of all, profound sadness. He had spent three hundred years tethered to this damn knife and it seemed, whatever he did, he would never be free of it. But did he truly wish to be anyway? He had lived with power and he had lived without it and he knew which state he preferred. Life without power meant always having to be afraid, always having to look over your shoulder, always having to debase yourself, to _kiss someone's boot_ just to earn the right to keep breathing the same air as the mighty. Oh yes, Rumplestiltskin knew all about that kind of life and he had always promised himself that he'd never go back to it but he hadn't kept that promise. Being relieved of his curse was a good thing but the downside, the great, terrifying downside, was that he had also been stripped of his magic. He had reverted to being Rumplestiltskin the peasant or, in his Storybrooke guise, Mr Gold the pawnbroker. Old, useless, jumped-up and, most importantly,  _utterly defenseless._ How long until someone took advantage of that? How long until one of the residents of this town, most of whom despised him, decided it was time to settle a deep-seated score? He went cold at the thought but his fears really kicked into gear when he considered the possibility that somebody might hurt Belle. It was hardly beyond the realms of possibility; Regina and Hook had both tried it before and he wouldn't put it past either one of them to try again. No, he couldn't even entertain the prospect, it was far too frightening. He  _had_ to get his power back. There were no two ways about it.

And yet, could he really bring himself to do this? Could he actually take this dagger and drive it into the heart of Emma Swan, the mother of his grandson Henry? The woman whom his beloved son, his precious Baelfire, had loved so much? Bae's face rose up in his mind, eyes full of reproach and disappointment, and Rumplestiltskin felt shame, deep and hot, tear through him. Gods above, what the  _HELL_ was he doing? This was craziness personified. Not only would he be taking Henry's mother away, and dishonoring Bae's memory in the process, but he would cause untold hurt to Belle. He'd lose her, forever this time, there'd be no way back from this. The certainty of that acted like a bucket of icy water on Rumplestiltskin - it brought him to his senses very quickly. He wasn't going to kill Emma Swan. There had to be another option, another path. It was just a question of finding it.

_There isn't dearie,_ the Imp insisted _it's kill the Dark One or remain a snivelling, pathetic worm forevermore. And if you want to get all sentimental about your son, don't forget the reason he's dead will you? He's in the ground because you didn't have the power to save him. He's gone because that perverted lunatic from Oz, Zelena, set him up to die and then caged you like an animal for a year. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the treatment she subjected you to during those delightful twelve months? Her little 'games' as she so lovingly called them? Hmmm? Answer me slave!_

"No, I don't need a reminder," Rumple responded somberly but the mention of Zelena's name had given him an idea, just a sliver of one. He had no clue whether it might work, it was probably a complete long shot, but it was worth a try. Anything was preferable to becoming Emma Swan's murderer.

The Imp spluttered in indignation but Rumple pushed his objections forcefully aside. Confident he wouldn't interrupt again, at least not for a while, he set about implementing his hastily dreamt-up plan. It did involve a bit of deception, and his heart ached at the prospect of lying to Belle  _again,_ but occasionally the ends really did justify the means. Belle would just have to learn to accept the truth of that.

He heard footsteps, and the familiar voice of his wife, approaching the chamber door and Rumple knew that the moment had arrived. With a deep breath, and the dagger held out before him, he issued his first order.

"Dark One, I am your master now. You will listen to me and do exactly as I tell you. You will not question me nor will you speak unless spoken to. Nod if you understand." Emma nodded. "Excellent," Rumple went on, "and now for your first task. Freeze those two," and he pointed at each of the supine figures of Regina and Killian. Emma, like the mute puppet she now was, obeyed immediately and with a flash of her hand, the Mayor and the pirate captain were frozen to their spots on the floor. Smiling grimly at the little tableau they formed, Rumple allowed himself to enjoy a thrill of triumph at the sight of two of his adversaries, Jones especially, rendered inert and useless upon the stones. This next part was not going to be nearly as pleasant.

He waited until David, Mary Margaret and Belle appeared in the chamber doorway before he gave the same command and elicited the same result. All three were turned into living statues in an instant and Rumple had to turn away from the burst of betrayal that he saw in Belle's eyes as she realized, entirely too late, what was afoot.

In his educated opinion, Rumple estimated that they had about an hour before the immobilization spell that Belle and the others were now under would begin to wear off, and that was more than enough time for his purposes. He looked at Emma and said "take us to Mr Gold's shop."

In a swirl of burgundy smoke, they were transported in less than a second to the pawnshop and Rumple stumbled slightly at the force that the magic exerted upon him. It had been a little while since he had travelled by sorcery and the impact of it rather winded him and caused the dagger to wobble dangerously in his grasp. Emma's gaze, drawn inexorably to it like a moth to a flame, turned covetous but fortunately Rumple still possessed a strong grip on the weapon and the ill effects of the magic soon passed. He returned to the assignment at hand.

"Turn around and do not move a muscle until I say so," he ordered and Emma did as she was bid. Rumple then approached one of the wall safes, the one that was hidden behind the painting of the Isle of Avalon that he had acquired in a long-ago deal with an enchantress called Nimue, and opened it. He kept many of his most secret items in here and, if he was honest, oftentimes ones that he would prefer that Belle not know about. This particular relic certainly fitted that bill -  he retrieved the fake Dark One dagger, the one that had caused him so much trouble, and drew his finger along its wavy edge, wincing when the sharpness of the blade broke the skin and a line of blood appeared.

The shock of the pain disturbed the Imp and he moved forward loudly and cleared his throat.  _If I am permitted to speak now my dear Spinner may I just inquire, and pardon my French, but what the bloody hell are you doing? You don't need the fake dagger, you have the real one, right there in your wrinkled wee hand! Just take it, plunge it into the Swan female's heart, and be done with this nonsense! I am getting bored, so very bored, with all this unnecessary drama and shilly-shallying. Assume your rightful mantle of the Dark One and let us go and have some fun for a change! Don't you long for a bit of fun dearie? I know! We'll swing by the madhouse, pay a visit to your old friend Zelena. Exercise our newly reclaimed powers on her. What do you say to that?_

"I say that if you're bored, you'd best shut your trap," Rumple shot back, his tone brooking no argument "I'm doing this  _my_   way." To that end, he brought the real dagger and the fake one together, until they were just touching, and slowly intoned a transference spell over them, careful to get every word correct. He was by no means certain that it would work and, after a few moments of nothingness, he sighed in dismay but then the name on the counterfeit dagger began to glow and he laughed victoriously as the letters changed from 'Rumplestiltskin' to read 'Emma Swan'. 

He tucked the newly altered dagger into an inside pocket and turned to look at Emma's back. "You may face me now Dark One," he said and Emma whipped around so fast that she nearly lost her balance "I am finished here. I command you to take us back to the vault."

In another swirl of smoke, more crimson than burgundy this time, they returned to Emma's cell. Fortunately, everything and everyone was just where they had left them. Rumple had had no serious fears that the immobilization spell would've worn off, they'd hardly been gone ten minutes, but he _had_  been worried that some unexpected visitors might've shown up in his absence. He didn't want to have to explain to Robin Hood or, Gods forbid, Henry what was going on. Luckily though nobody had turned up and Rumple was therefore free to complete the rest of his task. "Wait here," he said to Emma and he exited the chamber, careful not to brush past the statues in the doorway,  and headed to another room down the corridor. This was where Regina kept her spellbooks, potions and her own, paltry and inadequate, collection of magical objects. Rumple knew precisely what he was looking for and, all too familiar with his old student's lack of imagination, he located it in mere moments. Pulling Zelena's bright green pendant, the source of her admittedly potent powers, from out of a set of drawers, Rumple held it up to the light and breathed deeply. He could feel the stone pulse in his hand and, for the first time, he began to feel a real sense of confidence that he actually might pull this off. Singing quietly to himself, he slipped the pendant into his pocket and went back to Emma's chamber.

Relief and optimism flowing through him, Rumple set about the rest of his business with an unaccustomed skip in his step. He placed the dagger, the real one, on the cover of the book that had brought him here in the first place and opened it. He laid it on a side table and then strode across to the fallen Killian Jones and placed the phony dagger, with the name side facing upwards, in the pirate's ridiculous leather jacket. He smirked at the sight, straightened up, and fixed Emma with what he hoped was an authoritative stare -  this next part might be a bit tricky. "Dark One," he began, his voice hard "I command you, when I click my fingers, to unfreeze all these people and wipe their memories of the last..." he glanced at his watch "fifteen minutes. This memory wipe includes you as well but not entirely. You will remember that I am your master, and respond if I call, but you will also obey the commands of the other dagger. Nod if you understand." Emma did so and Rumple muttered a little prayer as he gave her the signal. Unfreezing people and altering memories, including one's own, was a complicated bit of sorcery, not to mention the other part of the edict he had saddled her with. He had no idea how much commanding of Emma the pirate, or her parents, did but he couldn't risk them finding out that the dagger in their possession was not real. Not yet anyway. Miss Swan ought to possess enough magic to pull all this off, he was almost convinced of that. If she didn't, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Happily she did and the unfreezing and memory wiping worked like a dream; everyone returned to what they had been doing fifteen minutes earlier, absolutely none the wiser. David, Mary Margaret and Belle came charging into the room and Mary Margaret's hands flew to her mouth at the scene before her. She bent down next to a groggy Regina and David approached a still unconscious Jones, gently nudging the captain's shoulder to try and awaken him.

Rumple meanwhile focused on Emma, who was still standing and gawping at him with a mixture of hope and despair in her eyes, and gave her an avuncular pat on the arm. "Don't fret my dear," he soothed "all will be well. You'll learn how to control your powers and, to that end, I brought you this valuable tome as a gift -" he indicated the table where the book lay and Belle helpfully got it and brought it over.

"This book is all about the Dark One, it tells you of the history and details who has carried this burden before you. I know it doesn't seem like much but just read it," she said to Emma kindly "books are the best kind of magic because they never fail. They've never failed me."

Emma whispered "thank you", somewhat brokenly, and commenced flicking through the book. Her parents were so preoccupied with aiding Regina and Killian that they barely returned Rumple and Belle's goodbyes as they took their leave of them, Rumple suppressing with difficulty his glee at the large and painful looking lump that had formed on Jones's forehead.

Once outside, Belle put her hand to her own brow and Rumple's gleefulness vanished. "Are you okay?" he demanded anxiously, suddenly worried that something had indeed gone wrong with the spell and Belle had been hurt.  _God no, please let her be all right_ he silently begged  _I'll never forgive myself if she isn't._

"Oh it's just a little headache," Belle said, a smile in her voice though she was obviously experiencing some discomfort "I get a touch of claustrophobia at times, as you know, and it was was very stuffy in there. Not much air. I just need a lie down and - "

"And a cup of tea brewed especially for you by your devoted husband," Rumple finished, relieved beyond words that all the spell had done was give Belle a slight headache.  _That_ he could deal with. He wrapped his arm around her, she rested her head on his shoulder, and they began to make their way home. Rumple could not help but hum a merry little tune, something half-remembered from his childhood, and in his pocket he felt the pendant grow warm against the fabric.  _Oh yes, this was going to work_   he thoughtand he was sure that he heard the Imp laugh, satisfied at last, in response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, Rumple has a plan and they never really go exactly as he hopes they will. Zelena next chapter I think. Thanks for reading:)


	8. The Wicked Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating for this story has now gone up to mature, not because there is smut ahead, but because some dark depths are going to be referred to in this chapter and there's a bit of bad language. Sorry to all those who may dislike that but, with the introduction of Zelena and the nature of her history with Rumple, it's just unavoidable.

"I think I'll go into town and open the library today," Belle said to Rumplestiltskin across their antique breakfast table "it feels like several centuries have passed since I stepped through its doors, let alone checked a book out for someone. I feel like I need to get back into the swing of things and, even more importantly than that, I have some guaranteed patrons lined up. Ashley Boyd contacted me yesterday; you remember her don't you Rumple?" 

Rumplestiltskin nodded briskly as he took the last bite out of his croissant. Oh yes, he remembered Ashley all right, or 'Cinderella' as she had been known back in their land. He had made a deal with her once for her unborn baby, a deal that the young woman had reneged on. Backing out of a signed contract with the Dark One had been bad enough for him to take but she had added injury to insult by breaking into his shop and macing him right in the face! Gods above, whatever concoction had been in that canister had burned something fierce, like being stung over and over by an enormous swarm of bees. Now, upon honest reflection, Rumplestiltskin was not particularly proud of the deal he had struck with Miss Boyd but the whole sorry affair had not been entirely his fault - Miss Boyd's conduct had not been impeccable either. When all was said and done, she was yet another citizen of Storybrooke who held a grudge against him, just another person he would far rather avoid. However, if she was going to act as a distraction for Belle today, then she might prove useful to him for once.

"Opening the library sounds like a good idea Belle," Rumple said warmly before he finished his coffee and began clearing the breakfast things away "an excellent one in fact. You've been stuck in the  shop, and stuck babysitting me, for far too long. It's way past time that you, and me, got back into the rhythm of normal life. Now c'mon, finish off that piece of toast and we'll get this show on the  road."

"What are you planning to do today Rumple?" Belle asked through a mouthful of marmalade "it's Monday and you don't usually open the shop on a Monday. Are you hoping to spend a lazy day at home, just you and those animated DVDs that arrived this morning? The ones that you were so insistent I order for you off the internet? They must've made quite an impression when you watched them in New York."

Oh indeed they had. Rumple grimaced at the memory of the seemingly endless days he had spent holed up in Ursula's shabby little apartment, recovering from two heart attacks he had told no one about, eating what barely qualified as food and watching a succession of films that were often centered on people and events set in the Enchanted Forest.

Ursula had possessed quite an extensive collection of these strange, perplexing and wildly inaccurate movies and Rumple had worked his way through them all. Four of them were based on the adventures of a smart-alecky, flatulent ogre called Shrek  who, for some reason, was permitted to roam about the land of Far, Far Away (never heard of it) accompanied by a talking donkey. Every person of sense knows that ogres are neither funny nor engaging, they are simply dangerous and bloodthirsty, and as for donkeys, especially talking ones, well they would drive a rational person insane within moments. The last of these terrible offerings had even featured a character called 'Rumplestiltskin' who, whilst somewhat clever, had looked absolutely nothing like him and, even worse than that, had ended up being defeated by the ogre! What a complete load of rubbish it had all been but still, they'd given him a few much needed laughs when he had found himself in dire need of amusement.

The laughter had stopped though when he'd viewed a film that Ursula had actually recommended to him called 'Beauty and the Beast'. He had begun watching it, thinking it would be the same old nonsensical dross that he had become used to, when Belle's face had filled the screen and nearly caused him to suffer a third heart attack. True, the filmmakers had got her eyes all wrong, they were supposed to be blue not hazel, but the rest was unmistakably Belle. He had broken down and sobbed his way through the duration of the movie, especially the part where Belle had wept over the body of the fallen Beast, thus breaking his curse and restoring him to his real state as a handsome prince (finally a plot twist he could agree with). 

He had managed to pull himself together and stop crying by the time Ursula had returned from the Aquarium that day but he had made sure to hide the disc away and he had watched it at every opportunity. It had become his guilty pleasure, it had provided him with extra motivation to find a way back to Storybrooke, a way back to Belle, and Rumple was very pleased that he now had his own copy; they could watch it together. But not today - today he had far less enjoyable pursuits on his agenda.

"No there'll be no movie watching for me today sweetheart, though thank you for obtaining them for me," he said appreciatively "my plans this morning are to go to the shop, just to familiarise myself with things in there again, and then later I thought we could have lunch at that fish 'n chip place you like down at the harbor. If that is agreeable to you of course?"

Belle got up and walked around to Rumple's side of the table where she favored him with her best smile, the one that never failed to cause the air to still in his lungs, and then followed it up with a long, deep kiss.

"It's more than agreeable," she said huskily and it was all Rumple could do to nod in response. Belle laughed and gave him another kiss, not so deep this time, before going and retrieving the car keys from their brass hook in the hallway.

"I can drive us into town Belle," Rumple said, shrugging on his jacket and glancing with irritation at the jangling keys in her hand "it's no trouble."

"I know it's no trouble," Belle replied soothingly as she opened the front door "but you're still not fully recovered from the effects of the stasis spell and I don't think it's a good idea for you to drive until you are one hundred percent better. Besides, I like driving the Cadillac. I did have a good teacher after all."

As they left the rambling pink Victorian, Rumple's mind jagged back to the first of Belle's initially disastrous driving lessons, when only his speedily deployed magic had succeeded in saving them from a close encounter with a tree, and he grinned at the memory. He held onto it as they got into the car and began the short journey to town; he was about to give some of his absolute worst memories free rein so he'd cling on to a good one for as long as he was able.

 

 

 

They parked in their usual space in front of the pawnshop and Belle beamed at the reasonably large crowd that was waiting for her across the road. She could see that Ashley had kept her word; she'd brought the majority of the Storybrooke 'Mommy and Me' class along with her, even including Mary Margaret and baby Neal. It gave Belle a boost that so many people were enthusiastic to make use of the library, it made her feel wanted and it provided her with the opportunity to enjoy a happy, stress free morning in the company of people who led more straightforward lives than she did. Mary Margaret was obviously not in that category but perhaps, Belle thought, she could cheer her up a little, take her mind off her troubles for a couple of hours? Belle was determined to give it a shot.

Rumple was delighted to see her so keen and eager to resume her beloved library job - she had been far too full of worry lately for his liking.  Once they had parted with a tight embrace, he watched her cross the street and greet the mothers group with a mixture of pride and sadness. He was glad that Belle's day was shaping up to be a gratifying one but he couldn't help but rue the heaviness that had descended on his own, battered heart at what lay before _him_.

_Don't forget to mention the fact that you've just lied to your darling wife yet again about what you're really up to_ the Imp said, making his presence felt for the first time that day  _it's becoming quite the habit with you now isn't it?_

"Oh spare me, what do you care if I tell lies? Isn't that what you're always encouraging me to do? Make up your mind on the issue dearie and, while you're about it, hold your tongue. You'll have your turn soon enough," Rumple muttered as he unlocked the shop door and went inside, flicking on the lights but not bothering to turn the sign over from 'closed' to 'open'. It was not on his schedule to conduct any business in here today and nor was it his intention to reacquaint himself with the stock. There'd be plenty of time for that later; right now he had much more pressing concerns. With that to the forefront of his mind, he walked swiftly through the shop, observing with half an eye that the place needed a good dust, and exited out the rear door.

With a determined tread, he made his way to the hospital, making sure that he was not seen by any nosy townsfolk though luckily he was forced to take little evasive action - there were few pedestrians out and about. He went around to the back of the building, to a rearward entrance that he knew Regina had made fairly frequent use of in the past. He tried the handle and prayed it was unlocked; he didn't want to waste time picking it. Happily, Regina had maintained her habit of carelessness where security was concerned and Rumplestiltskin was able to breeze inside and make his way to the basement area, where the asylum was located, entirely unhindered.

He reached the nurses station, manned as ever by one of Regina's favorite henchwomen, and reached the first real challenge of this exercise. He had gone over his most reliable mind control spell several times last night, and he knew that the Amulet of Apollo he possessed would help a great deal, but shorn of his magic there was no guarantee that it would work. He was relying on centuries of  _learnt_ magic, not any form of instant sorcery that flowed from the dagger, and he had less confidence in its efficacy. And, if he was totally honest, in himself. Still, he had no option so he faced the nurse, with the bejewelled Amulet held before him, and intoned the ancient words of the spell. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when her pupils dilated and her eyes turned glassy. He had successfully put her under his sway. _  
_

"I require the keys to Zelena's cell, this instant, and you will allow no one else to enter whilst I am with her," he ordered in a harsh tone and, like an obedient slave, the stern faced nurse immediately fetched the keys and handed them across. He took them from her with a brief nod and then made his way down the long, grey corridor to the witch's cell, his dread at having to face her increasing with every step. He arrived at the door and, hand shaking a little, inserted the key.

"Are you ready Imp?" he whispered and the Imp immediately jumped to attention.

_I'm always ready_ he drawled.

"Wonderful," Rumple responded "because it's showtime."

Rumplestiltskin, the persona of the Imp now largely in command of his mind, threw open the cell door and strode in as if he owned the place. Zelena, who was sitting hunched over on her rather uncomfortable looking bed staring at a book bolted upright; her eyes widened in surprise and then she laughed when she saw the identity of her visitor.

"Well, well, what an unexpected pleasure this is! Come to have another go at killing me have you Rumple? I wouldn't recommend it love, given the fact that you failed so miserably last time and that was back when you were still the Dark One, the most feared sorcerer in all the realms! Now you're just a pitiful, ordinary old man, stripped of all his power. Dangerous to no one. Besides, did you hear the good news, I'm with child! Yes, Robin and I are going to have a baby. You wouldn't harm a pregnant woman would you my pet? My sister would be so very angry with you if you did and she's the one with all the magic round here these days. Except for Emma Swan of course. The world has been given a brand new Dark One, how exciting! She's very close to Regina I believe, so close she'd probably do her bidding if she asked her, or even better  _forced_ her. I'm sure my clever sis would've got her hands on the dagger by now and she'd have no compunction wielding it. Just like I did. You remember that, don't you Rumple? The good old days when it was just you and me?"

Zelena got up and, for the first time, Rumplestiltskin noticed that she was sporting on her arm Peter Pan's cuff, the one that was designed to block magic.  _Good,_ he thought,  _this will be even easier than I imagined_  and he suppressed a shiver of fear and loathing at the feeling of her cold hand touching his.  _Don't lose your nerve now Spinner_ he chided himself  _just endure this torment and allow the Imp to get_ _you where you need to be._   _Then you'll have magic once more and you can leave this bitch behind forever._ _  
_

Zelena entwined her fingers with his before reaching up and brushing away a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "You're not jealous are you my love?" she whispered in what she probably thought was a sultry voice "there's no need for you to be. The baby I'm carrying may indeed be the outlaw's but _I_  am still yours; I've always been yours. Just like you've always been mine. When I came to see you at the hospital in New York you looked so sad, so vulnerable, that I was tempted to just take you there and then, to climb on top of you and make love to you. Make you scream my name over and over until you begged me to stop. You're so beautiful when you beg. Why with my talent for glamor spells we could even have played that little game of ours you used to adore so much - do you recall it I wonder?"

Rumplestiltskin tasted vomit rising in the back of his throat at what Zelena was referring to so it was a relief when the Imp took over and forced his nausea back down before making him inch his body nearer to the witch's. They were so close now that their noses were almost touching; Rumple breathed deeply and grazed her cheek with his knuckles in what he hoped was taken as a gesture of tenderness. "If you mean the one where you glamored yourself to look like Belle," he replied, his tone low and full of promise "then why on Earth did you hold yourself back at the hospital dearie? Did you fear that you'd break me? That I'd reject you? No chance of that. Belle's sweet face coupled with your superior talent for, shall we say,  _seduction_ is a combination that never fails to make my blood run hot. Never fails to make me hard. Here - let me show you."

He guided Zelena's hand to his groin and her eyes lit up with barely contained hunger when she felt the evidence of his 'desire'. It wasn't real of course, it was merely the Imp physically manifesting every last shred of darkness that Rumplestiltskin still possessed, but even so he silently implored Belle for forgiveness as Zelena purred in triumph and wrapped herself around him. She kissed him savagely, her teeth sinking into his bottom lip, never noticing that he barely returned her kiss. She then began practically dragging him backwards to the bed. 

"Gods, I've missed you," she breathed, her hands all over him, pulling ferociously at his clothing "there's never been anyone else for me than you Rumplestiltskin. Never. You're my little pet and that's what you'll always be. That's what I _moulded_ you into." As she tugged violently at his jacket, her teeth drawing blood, her tongue demanding further access to his mouth, Rumple knew that his moment had arrived. Leaning in, as if he was aiding her in her attempts to undress him, he took out her pendant, which he had pilfered from Regina's vault a few days ago, from an inside pocket and pressed it firmly against her stomach.

The element of surprise worked like a dream. "No, stop, what are you doing?" she cried out, her voice instantly morphing from lascivious to fearful, "that thing is burning me! Why is it burning me? Please, I'm sorry Rumple, I'm _so_  sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't mean to hurt your son, just please stop! Pleasedon't harm my child! It's _innocent_!"

"Nothing that emanates from your womb could _ever_ be termed innocent you evil whore but fear not; I'd never harm a child, not even yours. No, I'm merely taking its magic, making sure that it can never be a threat to anyone. I'm putting its misbegotten power into this pendant," he indicated the now brightly glowing green necklace "where you'll never get your nasty little hands on it again. Your child will live, it will be just fine, or as fine as any offspring of yours can ever hope to be. It will merely turn out to be  _ordinary._   Just like its mother."

He removed the now fully recharged pendant from Zelena's belly and the witch collapsed onto the bed, her body shaking with uncontrollable sobs. "You'll never get away with this," she managed to utter through her tears "Regina will punish you for this act of cruelty and, once this cuff is off, I'll  _kill_ you for it myself!"

Rumple smirked. "That's why I brought this along," he said and he pressed the Amulet of Apollo against Zelena's forehead and recited the mind control spell, a much stronger one this time, absolutely guaranteed to entirely erase this incident from Zelena's memory banks. She fought the spell briefly but soon her eyes went out of focus and she slumped onto the mattress; she'd sleep for about an hour or two, he estimated, and wake up none the wiser as to his actions here today. _Well_ _Spinner that was the best fun I've had in eons_ the Imp crowed delightedly _so_ _let's go out on a high note shall we? Kill this pointless tart, and her spawn, you know the old two birds with one stone trick! You'll have your revenge at last and we'll have done everyone a favor! They'll probably throw a parade for you. They all hate Zelena anyway and who wants a child of hers running about, magic or no magic?_

Rumple however had had more than enough for one day. Feeling increasingly out of control, he returned to the nurses station, where Regina's faithful servant was still in a trance, and returned the keys to Zelena's cell. She'd wake up soon enough and remember nothing about all this as well, the same as the witch. The Imp giggled at his eagerness to be away, his increasing failure to stem the tide of his emotions, but he banished him to the furthest recesses of his brain and made a dash for the asylum door; he had to get some fresh air, he had to put some distance between himself and this place, between himself and  _her._  He tore down the corridor, sweat pouring down his face, desperate to get outside. He barely made it before he started retching, bringing up everything in his stomach until he had nothing left. Drained, he dropped to his knees on the concrete and allowed his feelings to overwhelm him. He sobbed and sobbed, his mind yanked back to the worst times he had ever experienced, when he had been Zelena's slave. She had come to him, night after night, disguised as Belle after their 'lovemaking', as she termed it, had been less than successful even with the aid of the dagger. Oh she could force him of course, the dagger gave her that power, but she could never make him truly respond to her, not in the complete way that she craved. She could never make him love her -magic could do much but not that. The Belle glamor had worked better than any other tactic she had tried because Rumple had allowed it to; if he fooled himself that Belle was with him, that Belle and not Zelena was touching him, then the whole horrid ordeal was easier to tolerate. Especially once Bae was gone and all he had wanted to do was die. But he'd never forgiven himself for it and he could never tell Belle about it - it was his burden to carry. His and his alone. Magic would make it more bearable; magic made everything more bearable.

The pendant pulsated in his hand and he smiled down at it.  He could feel the power that flowed through it; power that was now  _his._ All that remained was to extract it and put it into a more portable form; he could hardly wear Zelena's pendant around town, even someone as dense as Charming would notice that. No, he had a more suitable vessel in mind and he could hardly wait to get started. In the meantime, he longed to see Belle, to put his arms around her and feel her skin against his, always so warm and comforting. He glanced down at his watch - she would still be with the mothers at the library. He'd pay them a visit, he could do with hearing a good story. One with a suitably happy ending he hoped. He wiped his mouth, making sure that the last of Zelena's rank taste was removed before he got up and took a few calming breaths. Then, with a lighter step than he had arrived with, he set off for the center of town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry to those who hated the fairly dark stuff that I referred to in this chapter, but I firmly believe that the show has alluded to Zelena having abused Rumple. She is a one nasty bit of work. So now Rumple has her magic, or rather her child's magic, what will he do with it? He's on a bit of a downward spiral at the moment - he needs to believe in the power of Belle's love for him. New chapter next week, thanks for reading and all your comments :)


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